Report: Counties that had highest cases of violence in Kenya

Human rights activists march during the commemoration of 16 Days of Gender-Based Violence against Women in Nairobi, Kenya. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Bungoma, Murang'a, Homa Bay and Migori counties lead in cases of physical violence in Kenya respectively, data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows.

According to KNBS Director-General Macdonald Obudho, the prevalence of women aged 15 to 49 years experiencing physical violence in Bungoma County is 62 per cent.

Murang'a and Homa Bay counties accounted for 53.7 per cent and 53.5 per cent of women experiencing physical violence respectively.

Fifty-one (51) per cent of women in Migori County said they experienced violence from their partners (present and former).

The findings, released in Nairobi on Tuesday, January 17, were captured in the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 report.

Mandera registered the lowest percentage of physical violence against women, with nine (9) per cent, followed by Kitui County at 11.5 per cent.

Kwale and Wajir counties also had a low prevalence of physical violence against women with 13.1 and 13.2 per cent respectively.

Nationwide, 34 per cent of women have experienced physical violence since aged 15, the report revealed, while 27 per cent of men have also experienced physical violence since a similar age.

Physical violence is higher against women aged 45 to 49 years at 42per cent, compared to those aged 15 to 19 years at 20 per cent.

"Experience of violence among women increases with age," Obudho noted.

Further, the report also shows that women's marital status is linked to their experiencing violence.

"Women who have ever been married are much more likely to have experienced violence (41 per cent) since age 15 than those who have never been married (20 per cent)," KDHS reveals.

Married women in Kenya are more likely to experience violence from their current husbands or intimate partners (54 per cent), compared to their former husbands or partners (34 per cent).

While men who have ever been in a marriage or with an intimate partner likely to experience violence are teachers at 28 per cent.

Twenty per cent of married men are more likely to experience violence from current wives or partners, compared to 19 per cent who are likely to experience the act from former wives and partners.

"Teachers (33 per cent) and mothers/stepmothers (25 per cent) were the most common perpetrators of physical violence against women who have never been married or never had an intimate partner.

"Teachers (46 per cent) and schoolmates/classmates (22 per cent) were the most common perpetrators of physical violence against men who have never been married or had an intimate partner," the report shows.